As the world population increases, the amount of household trash produced each year also increases. Studies estimate that in 2013, each person produced more than 4 pounds of waste each day. Municipalities have attempted to come up with various strategies to efficiently deal with waste disposal.
Across the municipalities in North America, household garbage is collected, typically only on a weekly basis, by curbside pickup of organics compostable contained in paper bags. As a result, household garbage accumulates over the week waiting to be collected. As a result, kitchen garbage, which contains, in large part, organics compostable, starts to decay. In warm and hot weather, waste decay typically accelerates, and garbage odors become an issue.
Garbage odor can cause the entire house to smell unpleasant. To control garbage odors, various methods have been used, for example, by sealing the garbage container to prevent odor from flowing outside, using baking soda, cat litter or other chemicals to prevent odors, using drying sheets to absorb the moisture in garbage containers and prevent odors, putting garbage in colder places to suppress odors, etc.
There remains a need however, to effectively regulate moisture and temperature of contents in garbage containers.
It is well known that bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms break down the organic material inside the garbage. Microorganisms that live in temperatures from 10° C.-45° C. begin the decomposition process. The microorganisms generate heat as they consume and digest the content in the garbage container. As the garbage content heats up, other microorganisms that live in temperatures from 45°-70° C. take over the decomposition process.
The bacteria that decompose the garbage content require moisture and oxygen. If the garbage content is low in humidity, or if bacteria use up the available oxygen, the temperature drops and the decomposition process slows down.
Therefore, by regulating the moisture and temperature of the content in garbage containers, households can effectively control waste decay and in turn garbage odor.
United States Patent Application (Pub US20110041539) discloses a method for dehumidifying a refrigerated transporting container. The refrigeration system comprises a refrigeration circuit including an evaporator, a compressor, an expansion valve and a condenser. The refrigeration system also comprises a control unit and a cooling space, the evaporator is placed in the cooling space and air blows over the evaporator to be cooled down.
United States Patent Application (Pub US20140318166) discloses a moisture removal system comprising a plurality of coils each capable of operation as either a condenser or evaporator, and a switching mechanism to cycle the functionality of the coils. The system may cycle the functionality of the coils to alleviate frost development on any one coil and thus speed a moisture removal process.
Chinese utility model CN202209858U discloses a drying box comprising a box body with a heat insulating layer on the circumferential wall, wherein an overhead stacking area is arranged in the box body, a refrigerating system is installed on the sidewall of the box body and comprises a compressor, an evaporator and a condenser, the evaporator and the condenser are structurally integrated, a filter/net is arranged between the evaporator and the condenser, the output end of the compressor is connected with the input pipe of the condenser, the output pipe of the condenser is connected with a drying filter through a liquid storage cylinder, one path of the output end of the drying filter is connected with the input pipe of the evaporator through an expansion valve while the other path of the output end of the drying filter is connected with the input end of the compressor through an unloading valve, the output pipe of the evaporator is connected with the input end of the compressor, and the box body is communicated with the evaporator through an exhaust pipe and communicated with the condenser through an intake pipe.
International Patent Application (Pub WO2014070292A1) discloses a method for accelerating the drying of a cargo box of a refrigerated truck, trailer, or container following a wash out, the method includes circulating air from the cargo box through an evaporator of the refrigerant unit and back to the cargo box and operating the refrigerant unit in alternating cycles of first heating the circulating air and then cooling the circulating air.
United States Patent Application (Pub US20110247352) discloses a wall-hanging dehumidifier includes a shell in the form of a cabinet, air inlets and air outlets on the shell, and a fan system and a refrigeration system in the shell.
Chinese patent application CN101881493A discloses a wall-mounted dehumidifier where the opening directions of an air inlet and an air outlet are opposite to each other; the air entering the dehumidifier flows through the surface of the condenser; the condensed air follows through the surface of the heat radiator; the fan is arranged on one side of the air inlet of the heat radiator, so that the whole dehumidifier is thin.
None of the above prior art references provides a solution for a modular, easy-assembled system to regulate the moisture and temperature of the content of a container as disclosed herein.
The modular system disclosed herein comprises a moisture and temperature regulating device and a separate portable container, where the moisture and temperature regulating device and the container are joinable by coupling means. Within the moisture and temperature regulating device, the condenser section and the evaporator section is separated by a heat insulation layer. When the moisture and temperature regulating device and the container are joined, the moisture and temperature regulating device is used to control the moisture and temperature of the content of the container.